Locomotive spotter



Nov. 28, 1933.

o. 1.. EY

LOCOMOTIVE SPOTTER Filed March 8, 1930 4 Shee(;'s eet l 1933- o. COFFEY1,936,750

LOCOMOT IVE SPOTTER Filed March 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 28, 1933.o. COFFEY LOCOMOTIVE SPOTTER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 8, 1930 v TM 4Sheets-Sheet 4 O. L. COFFEY LOCOMOT IVE SPOTTER Filed March 8, 1930 Nov.28, 1933.

Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITED stares P 'reroFFicE LOCOMOTIVE SPOTTEROscar L. Cofiey, Harvey, Ill., assignor to Whiting Corporation, Harvey,111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 8, 1930. Serial No.434,246

' 16 Claims. (01. 188-43) The invention relates to mechanism generallyprovided at either end with a draft-bar c which designated locomotivespotters. is adapted to engage or to be coupled to the loco- Inrepairing locomotives in railroad shops, it motive. This gearing (Fig.7) comprises a pinion is frequently desired to move a locomotive while bon the motor-shaft, a chain 19 driven by said it is not in runningcondition, to bringits wheels, pinion, a gear 12 driven by said chain, ashaft 12* 60 cranks or engine-valves in definite positions forjournalled in a housing 2: which is fixed to lugs inspection, repair orreplacement, and one object a on one of the brackets a a worm b fixed toof the invention is to provide an improved spotshaft h in the housing, agear-wheel b driven by ter for this purpose which can be expeditiouslyWorm b and fixed to a transverse shaft 1) which 10 locked to the railsof the track at any desired extends transversely through andisjournalledin 65 point, to render it operative to move thelocomobrackets .69, a pinion b fixed to one end of said tive. Byproviding devices which can be expedishaft, 2. gear b meshing withpinion b and fixed tiously operated to grip the track-rails so the to atransverse shaft Z2 which is journalled in truck, on which the mechanismis mounted, will bearings e on brackets a a pinion Z9 fixed to --15 befixedly held, the spotting of the locomotive shaft 13 between brackets aand meshing with a {lo will be facilitated. Another object of theinrack-bar c which is fixed to the bottom face of vention is to providea pair of gripping devices for the I-beam 0. Motor b is mounted on thetop of the rails respectively, which are conjointly ophousing b erableto facilitate the operation of spotting the The truck is provided with apair of carrying locomotive. Another object of the invention is towheels (1 at one end thereof and connected by 75 provide a grippingdevice which comprises meman axle d and at its other end with a similarbers to clamp the head of the rail, to effectively pair of wheels at,similarly connected by an axle secure the truck against slippage on therails d. These wheels permit the spotter'to travelduring the operationof the draft-beam to move over a track formed by rails g laid in thefioor the load. Another object of the invention is to of the shop. Eachof these axles is mounted in 80 provide spring counterbalancing meansfor the a pair of brackets d which are connected to the draft-beam whichis usually mounted to swing truck-frame by pivot-pins d which are heldin vertically on the truck, so that it will be heldin lugs. d fixed toone of the channel beams 11'. or to aid the operator in swinging it intoapproxi- Each bracket d is normally held in position to mate positionfor connection to a locomotive. hold the truck-frame raised by aspring-'pres- 85 Other objects of the invention will appear from suredevice, comprising a bolt e which is pivotthe description. ed at e to abracket :1 and extends through The invention consists in the severalnovel one pair of beams a, a, and a coil-spring e features hereinafterset forth and more particuapplied to a washer c adjustably held on thelarly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. inner end of the boltby nuts 6 so that the 99 In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation offorce of the springs will be applied to swing. the a spotter embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is a brackets d so as to raise the truck-framerela- 7 detail of one of the, connections betweena cartive'ly to thewheels d. Toot'n'ed shoes 1 are rying-wheel and the truck frame topermit the secured to the bottom faces of the beams a over 40 latter tobe forced downwardly when it is to be the rails g of the track, andthese yielding con- 95 locked to the rails. Fig. 3 is an end elevation.nections between the truck-frames of the wheels Fig. is a section online i4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 d are provided to permit the truck-frame to beis a section on line 5-5 of 4. Fig. 6 is a forced downwardly to bringthe shoes e, which central longitudinal section, showing thecounterserve as rail-gripping members, into engagement balancing meansfor the draft-beam. Fig.3 is with the tread of the rails. Normally,these 100 a section on line '77 of Fig. 6. springs lift the truck-frameto hold the shoes 1 The invention is exemplified in a spotter comoff therails, so that the spotter may be moved prising a truck-frame composedof a pair of along the rails to any point desired, and the channel beamsa, a at either end thereof and a gripping mechanism hereinafterdescribed is pair of longitudinal channel beams (1 and a bot adapted toforce the frame downwardly to force tom-plate c all rigidly securedtogether, and a shoes f against the rails 9'. pair of brackets a whichare secured on the A pair of devices areprovided at either end beams a,a, and support suitable reducing gearof the truck for engaging theunderside of the ing driven by an electric motor 21 for operating headsof the rails to force the truck-frame downthe draft-beam clongitudinally. Said beam is Wardly, and cause the spotter to be lockedto the rails against movement along the rack g, when the spotter is tobe used to move the locomotive or car. Each of these devices comprises alever 71 which is provided with a jaw or hook h" at its lower end forengaging the underside of the head of one of the rails, and is adaptedto be swung outwardly of the rails and thence downwardly when the truckis to be locked and inwardly and upwardly when the truck is-to be 'released from the rails. Each lever h is bodily movable as well aspivotally, for this purpose. Each lever h is composed of dual membersorbars, and

has connected thereto a fulcrum pin it. which passes through thelever-members'andthrough the upper end of a vertically extending link hThe lower end of link h is connected by a pivot pin h to the outer endof a horizontally extending link It", the inner end of which is pivotedon a pin h which is fixedly held in and between a pair of the beams a,a. Said beams are spaced apart 'by-blocks a to provide a space for theworking oflevers h, links it and h*. Bottom plate a extends under thetruck-frame and is fixed to beamsa,a'., and a The outer ends of links-71are adaptedto rest on said plate when thelevers hS-are lowered. Eachpair of gripping devices for therails respectively is conjointlyoperable so-that both sides of the truck may be simultaneously lockedand released. The upper ends of each pair of levers h are adapted to bedrawn together. by a cross-shaft k which is provided at either end witha hand-wheel k by which it may be turned. Said shaft is provided with a.screw 10 for. operating a nut 70 which is provided with pivot-studs kwhich extend into the members of one of the levers h. Shaft kalsoextends and is slidable through a collar k which is provided with studsk which are pivoted inthe members of the other lever h of the pair of'conjointly operable clampi'ngdevices. Collar 10 is positioned on theshaft is between collars k and k which are adjustably secured to theshaft. A spring k is coiled around shaft Io between collars k and k tonormally press the upper end of the lever 71. which is pivoted to collark against collar k This construction provides a yielding operativeconnection between shaft 70' and one of the levers h. Shaft k and theupper end of each lever h extend between standards which are fixed tothe beams a, a'and 50 are composed of angle bars or plates Z fixed ontop faces of beams a, a, vertical bars 1 fixed to the angle bars, andinclined brace bars I. The upper ends of bars Z are secured together bybolts Z which pass through spacing collars Z A roller m is mounted atthe upper end of each member of lever h, and is adapted to ride on theinner edge of the brace bar Z to control the movement of the upper endsof levers h and bodily movement of shaft is during the spreading of theupper ends of the levers h to release truck-frame. Fulcrum pins hbetween links h and levers h project from the levers and are adapted toride on inclined bars n which are secured to the inner faces of anglebars Z, to control the outward lateral movements of the fulcrum pins h,during the outward movement of the upper ends of levers h to withdrawthem from the rail-heads.

The beam 0 is supported so it can tilt vertically in the truck-frame topermit either of its ends to be raised or lowered for connection to thelocomotive at the desired point and to permit the truck-frame to beraised or lowered for looking and unlocking, while the beam is coupledto the locomotive and during the movement of the locomotive by the beam.For this purpose the rack-bar is confined laterally between a pair ofplates 0 which are pivotally held on the shaft 17 inside of the brackets(1 Rollers 0' guide the top surface of the beam 0 and hold rack-bar c inengagement with pinion D so that the beam and rack-bar can be operatedlongitudinally to move the locomotivewhi-le the truck-frame islocked tothe rails. To normally hold'th'e beam 0 horizontal, springcounterbalancing devices are applied thereto, which will permit the beamto tilt, but will normally hold or tend to hold it in horizontalposition and aid in lifting the beam. When the beam is extended almostentirely to one" end ofj the truck, the preponderance of weight atonesidemakes it difficult for the operator to lift it without suchcounterpressure. These connterbalancing devices are provided forresisting the vertical tilting of the beam in opposite directionsrespectively. Pins 0 are pivoted in and extend between the plates, 0,and pins o are held in and extend between brackets a Boltsoextendthrough one. of. the pinso and one ofthe pinso The inner. ends ofthese bolts are provided with heads which normally-engage one.of-theLpins of, and springso v areheld on outer. endssof. the. bolts ofby. nuts. 0 and bear against washers .0? whichabutagainst the pin 0sotha-twhen thebar istiltedineithir direction, one ofthe pins 0 willcauseone of the springso? to. be compressed to assist the. operator, inrestoringthe beam to itsrhorizontalposition. A- bailp is;fixed to. theupperendof plates. 0., to. receive a hook from. av crane whereby thespotter. can be transferred from. one. track to. another...

The operation willbe as follows;.No.rma1ly, the rail gripping devices.for. securing. the... truck against movement along,..the.rai1s will be.in.P tionindicatedin dottedlines of Fig. 4'. At su h int time,rthe.jawson the. lower ends of leversh will position .onthe track. where one. ofits draft-bars 0' will becoupledto the locomotive. Theoperator willrthenrotate the hand-wheels k on the shafts k, to lock the truck-frame.against movemovement along therail's. The rotation of each shaft is willdraw the nut 10. and collar k thereon together. During. the initialrotation of shaft k, the rollers m, riding on the braces. 1 will controlthe bodily lowering of levers h into the recesses in the floor at theinner sides of the rails g until the links it rest on bottom-plate atinued rotation of the shaft will draw nut k and collar k together, andthis will move the upper ends of the. levers h on their fulcrum pins hto swing inwardly so their jaws h" will swing outwardly and pass underthe heads of the rails and interlock therewith. The continued movementof the shaft is will cause the levers to fulcrum on the rail-head atjaws h and through links h it will apply downward pressure on the bottomThe conplate, a to force the truck-frame downwardly When the spotteris'to be moved along the rails, each shaft will be reversely turned tospread the nut k and the collar is. This will cause the levers h toinitially fulcrum on the bars n so the jaws h" at their lower ends willswing inwardly until they clear the head of the rail; whereupon leversit will be released from the rails, and this will permit the springs Zto lift the truck-frame, so that jaws or shoes f'will clear the rails.The

continued operation of the shaft is will bring rollers m into engagementwith the inclined edges of braces Z and cause them to ride upwardly tobodily raise the levers h above the rails. During this movement fulcrumpins h will ride on bars n to control the jaws it" against outwardmovement. The inward movement of the upper ends of the levers, duringthe gripping operation, is positively effected by nut 70 and collar k".Spring k yieldingly operates collar 10 during the spreading of the upperends of the levers to permit them to be freely controlled by braces ZThe shaft is is carried by levers h and is bodily movable so it can riseand fall with the levers and so it will be free to be positioned endwiseby nut k and rollers m.

When the draft-beam is uncoupled from the locomotive and is drawn out toan off-center position, the preponderance of weight at one end will tendto tilt the beam vertically, but the spring counter-balancing deviceswill resist this tilting and aid the operator in lifting the beam into,or retaining it in, approximately horizontal position, so that one ofits ends will be at the proper height for connection to the locomotive.

The invention exemplifies a spotter which is equipped with a pluralityof rail-gripping devices which can be conjointly operated to quicklyclamp the truck to both rails of a track or to release it therefrom; inwhich the truck-frame may be effectively locked against movement alongthe rails by devices comprising jaws for clamping the rail head; inwhich the draft-beam is pivotally movable and counterbalancing means isapplied to aid the operator in lifting the beam to its approximatelyhorizontal position.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a truck-frame, means to travel on a pair of rails, towhich the frame. is connected for relative vertical movement, springmeans for holding the frame normally raised, and a device for clampingone of the rails to secure the frame against movement, comprising meansfor engaging said rail and forcing the frame downwardly.

2. In combination, a truck-frame, means to travel on a pair of rails, towhich the frame is connected for relative vertical movement, springmeans for holding the frame normally raised, and a device for clampingone of the rails to secure the frame against movement, comprising a jawto engage the rail under its head and force the frame downwardly.

3. In combination, a truck-frame, means to travel on a pair of rails, towhich the frame is connected for relative vertical movement, springmeans for holding the frame normally raised, and a device for clampingone of the rails to secure the frame against movement, comprising a shoeon the frame adapted to engage the tread of the rail and a jaw to engagethe rail under its head and force the frame downwardly.

'4. In combination, a truck-frame, means to travel on a pair of rails,to which the frame is connected for relative vertical movement, springmeans for holding the frame normally raised, and a device for clampingone of the rails to secure the frame against movement, comprising alever to engage the rail under its head and force the frame downwardly.

5. In combination, a truck frame, wheels to travel on a pair of rails,to which the frame is connected for relative vertical movement,springmeans for holding the frame normally raised, means on the frame toengage the tread of one of the rails, and a device for engaging the railand forcing the frame downwardly to clamp said frame on the rail.

6. In combination, a truck frame, wheels to travel on a pair of rails towhich the frame is connected'for relative vertical movement, springmeansfor holding the frame normally raised, means on the frame to engage thetread of one of the rails, a lever fulcrumed on the frame for engagingthe rail, and means for shifting the lever to force the frame downwardlyand securing it to the rail.

7. In combination, a truck-frame provided with wheels to travel on apair of rails and. movable radially relatively to the wheels, and adevice for securing the frame to one of the rails, mounted on the frame,and comprising a shoe on the frame, an element adapted to pass under thehead of the rail, and means for shifting the element to engage the railand force the shoe and the frame downwardly, relatively to the wheels,said shoe and element being movable to clear the rail while the truckwheels rest on the rails.

8. In combination, a truck frame provided with wheels to travel on apair of rails and movable radially relatively to the wheels, and adevice for securing the frame to one of the rails, mounted on the frame,and comprising a shoe on the frame, a lever adapted to pass under thehead of the rail, and means for shifting said lever to engage the railand force the shoe and the frame downwardly, said lever and shoe bothbeing movable to clear the rails while the wheels are on the rails.

9. In combination, a truck-frame provided with wheels to travel on apair of rails and movable radially relatively to the wheels, and adevice for securing the frame to one of the rails, mounted on the frameand comprising a lever on the frame having a vertically movable fulcrumand provided with means to pass under the head of the rail and means forbodily and pivotally shifting the lever to force the frame downwardly.

10. In combination, a truck-frame provided with means to travel on apair of rails, and a device for securing the frame to one of the rails,mounted on the frame and comprising a lever, a fulcrum-link between thelever and the frame, a jaw on the lever to engage the rail, and meansfor shifting said lever.

11. In combination, a truck-frame provided with means to travel on apair of rails, and a device for securing the frame to one of the railsmounted on the frame and comprising a lever, a pair of connected links,to one of which the lever is pivoted and the other of which is pivotedto the frame, a jaw on the head of the rail and for forcing the framedownwardly.

12. In combination, a truck-frame, provided with means to travel on apair of rails, and a pair of devices for securing the frame to railsrespectively, each comprising a lever having a movable fulcrum andprovided with a jaw to engage the head of a rail, a shaft between saidlevers, provided with means for shifting the levers, and a yieldingconnection between one lever and the shaft.

13. In combination, a truck-frame provided with means to travel on apair of rails, a device mounted on the frame for securing the frame toone of the rails comprising a jaw, means for shifting the jaw to passunder and engage the underside of the head of the rail and to movelaterally and upwardly to withdraw the jaw from the rail, and means onthe frame to engage the tread of the rail.

14. In combination, a truck-frame provided with Wheels to travel on apair of rails, a pair of rail-gripping devices, each comprising a bodilyand pivotally movable lever provided with a gripping jaw at its lowerend, and an endwise movable shaft connected to shift and supported bythe upper ends of the levers. 1

15. In combination, a truck-frame provided with wheels to travel on apair of rails, a pair of rail-gripping devices,-each comprising a bodilyand pivotally movable lever provided with a grip; ping jaw at its lowerend, guides for controlling the upper end of the levers, and a shaftconnected to shift and supported by the upper ends of the lever.

16. In combination, a truck-frame provided with wheels to travel on apair of rails, a pair of rail-gripping devices, each comprising a bodilyand pivotally movable lever provided with a gripping jaw at its lowerend, guides for controlling the upper ends of the levers, and a, shaftfor operating the levers, a positive connection between the shaft andone of the levers, and a yieldmg connection between the shaft and theother lever.

OSCAR L. COFFEY.

